Rollers



R. M. SCOTT Sept. 4, 1962 ROLLERS Filed April 21, 1960 INVEN TOR.

RODERIC M. SCOTT ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,052,395 ROLLERS RodericM. Scott, Stamford, Conn., assignor to The Perkin-Elmer Corporation,Norwalk, (301112., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 21, 1960, Ser.No. 23,785 1 Claim. (Cl. 226-190) This invention relates to rollerapparatus and more particularly to rollers having longitudinally movablesurface sections.

It is often desirable to utilize cylindrical rollers with moving webs orfilms wherein the direction of travel of the film feeding onto andleaving the roller is non-perpendicular to the roller. This is often arequirement in conveyor belt equipment, for example, and also in filmhandling equipment such as that used in photographic processes. As soonas it becomes necessary to produce an angle between the film feedingonto a roller and the film leaving the roller, serious difficulties areapt to arise. These difficulties arise from the fact that the film mustof necessity slide along the roller in an axial direction as it alsorotates around the roller. This requirement of axial sliding not onlycreates mechanical stresses but may seriously scratch the surface of thefilm. This, of course, is a problem with respect to photographic filmsand also with equipment such as paper making machinery.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention toprovide novel means for operating a belt on a roller wherein the motionof the belt is non-perpendicular to the roller.

Another object of the present invention is to provide on a rolleraxially movable surface sections.

Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an illustrative apparatus embodyingthe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 with thebelt removed to more clearly show the roller construction;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showingan alternative construction;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of another species of roller embodying theprinciples of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 taken along the line 7-7.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided rollerapparatus, including a surface rotatable about an axis, wherein thesurface comprises a plurality of surface sections movable transverselyin a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of thesurface.

FIG. 1 illustrates the apparatus of this invention wherein a moving film10 passes around a roller having end plates 12 and axially slideablesections 14. The roller is mounted to rotate on an axle 16.

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 illustrate in greater detail the apparatus of FIG. 1and the same numbers are used on corice responding parts. The roller ofthis species may be mounted on brackets 11 (FIG. 2) and comprises acentral pentagonal core 18 which is positioned between the two endplates 12. Guide rods 20 interconnect the end plates and serve as tracksfor the roller segments 22. Roller segments are designed to form acylindrical roller surface but each segment is free to slide axiallyalong its associated guide rod 20. Each of segments 22 is furtherprovided with four ballbearings 24 which roll along a surface of theinner core 18. Each of segments 22 is urged toward one of plates 12 bythe action of a spring 26. It will now be apparent that as a film movesonto a roller as shown in FIG. 1 and begins to move about the roller ina non-perpendicular direction, the normal slip forces between the filmand the roller will serve to move each of the slideable segmentsparallel to the axis of the roller in the direction in which the filmtends to slip. Furthermore, as the film leaves the roller, each segmentin turn will be returned by its associated spring 26 to its startingposition.

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are illustrative of two other species of thisinvention. The partial cross-section shown in FIG. 5 illustrates a core30 having radial projections 32. Roller surface segments 34 arepositioned on rods 36 to slide between projections 32 on ballbearings'38.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 will be seen to consist of aplurality of small cylindrical rollers 40 positioned on guide rods 4-2to form a larger cylindrical roller.

Various other modifications may be made in the construction and detailsof the apparatus without departing from the scope or principles of theinvention. I do not, therefore, limit myself to the details of theconstruction shown and described.

I claim:

A substantially cylindrical roller which comprises a central core ofpolygonal cross section adapted to rotate about its longitudinal axis; afirst disc end plate at a first end of said core, having a diametergreater than said core and perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; asecond disc end plate at a second end of said core, having a diametergreater than said core and perpendicular to said longit'udinal axis; aplurality of longitudinal segments intermediate said first and secondend plates, each of said segments having a first surface parallel to anindividual surface of said core and a second surface forming a portionof a cylindrical surface coaxial with said core, each of said segmentsbeing longitudinally movable with respect to said core and rotatabletherewith, said segments forming a cylindrical surface concentric withsaid longitudinal axis; rod means extending between said first andsecond end plates and passing through each of said surface segments,operable to maintain each of said segments at a fixed radial distancefrom said axis; and spring means resiliently urging each of saidsegments against one of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS678,121 Lewis July 9, 1901 2,195,319 SutclifiFe .Mar. 26, 1940 2,435,430Ewing Feb. 3, 1948 2,576,233 Lorig Nov. 27, 1951

